In A Midsummer's Night Dream, Shakespeare’s use of characterisation and symbolism helps develop the audience's understanding of the theme that love makes people act foolishly. Shakespeare exaggerates the selfish actions, beliefs, behaviours and thoughts of the characters when they are under the influence of love, and to further underline this theme, he also utilises the aesthetic device of symbolism to demonstrate how people in this state act recklessly and with blind indifference.

All the characters are perceived as deeply preoccupied with their own feelings and intentions and all are very self-centred. Firstly, there is a love quadrant between Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander. They are all self-absorbed and all have different intentions